Marital Bliss - Chapter 4
Hey everyone! Thanks so much for your reviews! They got the creative juices flowing once more! I would like to give special credit to Earthling, Lynn (froggy0319), and Ilovesg1 because I specifically or nonspecifically used their ideas in this chapter and the one to follow. Thanks guys!
*
Jack sat down contentedly at breakfast the next morning. The sun was shining, the people were smiling, and their trade deal was just about complete.
Sam sat down beside him. He took a closer look at her. She had a funny sparkle in her eye. Like she was up to something. She gave him a pretty smile.
*Nah, must just be enjoying the beautiful day,* he dismissed as he smiled back.
Jack looked gratefully at the food as it was placed before them. Finally, something that looked half edible. In fact, it almost looked like ice cream. He could hardly wait to find out. He grabbed a spoon and had the bite half way to his mouth.
Sam grabbed his arm.
"Ah ah, my little bunny! You know how you get with dairy products. We wouldn't want you to get sick again, would we?" She blinked at him wide- eyed and innocently.
*She wouldn't. No, she couldn't. By golly, she is!*
Yes, his darling wife Sam was finally getting him back for all he'd done to her.
He gave a forced smile and gritted his teeth as the offending dish was taken away.
"Oh my little dumpling, you always take such good care of me!"
* * *
Jack sat down to the noon meal. Since Sam's little mutiny, his stomach was giving ample notice that it was not filled.
*Now, that's more like it,* he smiled as Sam came in carrying a large roast pig - of some sort.
Much better.
"Oh, and pumpkin, here is your plate," Sam held out a small plate of fruit (without the seeds) and bread.
Koshan gave them a funny look.
"Hey, what about the pig?" Jack complained.
"Why, lovey, you know what Doctor Frasier told you about watching your cholesterol. You simply scared the life out of me when you had your last episode! And now we have the baby to consider."
Sam rubbed her stomach for good effect and gave a smile and a shrug at Koshan and Kalara.
* * *
Sam knelt by the river with some of the other Lenowan women.
*I still do not believe this!* she scrubbed as she fumed. *No wife, real or not, should have to wash clothes by hand in a river of freezing cold water! Arghhh!*
Sam continued scrubbing for a while, slowly allowing her anger to burn off. She'd had her fun getting back at the Colonel, and it was a nice day to be outdoors. She glanced over at the woman beside her. She had a small child lying on a blanket beside her. She noticed Sam's gaze, and the two started talking about children.
"I've had such trouble getting this one to stop sucking his thumb! I've tried everything," the woman exclaimed.
*Should I? I mean, I've already had some fun at the Colonel's expense. Oh, what the hey, I'm washing his socks for crying out loud.*
She turned to the woman.
"I know just what you mean. I've been trying to get my Jack darling to stop for years! There's just some things they never outgrow I guess!"
* * *
Sam smiled as she carried their laundry back home. Yes, this wasn't such a bad day after all.
"Hey, Sam," Jack came up to her.
"I've been getting funny looks all afternoon. Do you know what it could be about?"
"Oh ah, I'm sure it's nothing serious," she said as they walked back to their little house.
They were almost there when suddenly, a little child ran up to Jack. The little boy giggled at him until scared away by Jack's threatening glare.
"You see what I mean? Stuff like that's been going on for the last couple of hours! Sam?"
But Sam couldn't answer him. She was laughing too hard.
"Oh no, I do not believe this. What did you tell them?! I thought you got this whole revenge thing out of your system by starving me half to death! What did you do?"
"Oh relax, honey. It wasn't anything serious."
"Of course it's something! And don't call me 'honey'!" he shouted. "I've had everyone looking at me like I'm crazy, or maybe I'm just hallucinating because of my empty stomach!"
Sam was starting to get mad.
"Yeah?! Well, you're not the one who's had to cook and clean and wash and scrub all day, every day!"
"Yeah, well, you're not the one talking fruits and veggies with the locals all day, every day!"
"Yeah, well, you're not the one carrying this stupid baby!"
A collected gasp.
Sam and Jack froze, then slowly turned around.
"Ah, Koshan, Kalara, all you village people! Ahem. We were just, you know . . ."
"How can you say such things to each other! And yelling as you did! Have you no love for each other?" Koshan looked completely shocked as he waved his hands between the two.
"Um, well . . ."
"You," he said looking at Sam. "You should be honored to do all those things for your husband! And what with his bad heart. And you," he turned on Jack. "This woman is carrying your child in addition to having a serious medical condition! You must have more consideration! How can we trade with people who have such animosity for each other? This is just terrible!" he continued muttering while wringing his hands.
"Look, Koshan, we really do love each other. It was just a lover's quarrel, that's all. Samantha and I care deeply for each other!"
"Jack's right. We don't usually fight like this. I guess all these trade negotiations are making us a bit tense. We just want to make a good trade for our people." Yes, that sounded good.
Koshan still looked uncertain.
"Look, what can we do to convince you that we love each other very much?"
"Well, there is a ceremony . . ."
*
Well, everyone, I should have the next chapter up tonight or tomorrow. Hope you're still liking this story. Please review, and thanks again for all the great suggestions!
Hey everyone! Thanks so much for your reviews! They got the creative juices flowing once more! I would like to give special credit to Earthling, Lynn (froggy0319), and Ilovesg1 because I specifically or nonspecifically used their ideas in this chapter and the one to follow. Thanks guys!
*
Jack sat down contentedly at breakfast the next morning. The sun was shining, the people were smiling, and their trade deal was just about complete.
Sam sat down beside him. He took a closer look at her. She had a funny sparkle in her eye. Like she was up to something. She gave him a pretty smile.
*Nah, must just be enjoying the beautiful day,* he dismissed as he smiled back.
Jack looked gratefully at the food as it was placed before them. Finally, something that looked half edible. In fact, it almost looked like ice cream. He could hardly wait to find out. He grabbed a spoon and had the bite half way to his mouth.
Sam grabbed his arm.
"Ah ah, my little bunny! You know how you get with dairy products. We wouldn't want you to get sick again, would we?" She blinked at him wide- eyed and innocently.
*She wouldn't. No, she couldn't. By golly, she is!*
Yes, his darling wife Sam was finally getting him back for all he'd done to her.
He gave a forced smile and gritted his teeth as the offending dish was taken away.
"Oh my little dumpling, you always take such good care of me!"
* * *
Jack sat down to the noon meal. Since Sam's little mutiny, his stomach was giving ample notice that it was not filled.
*Now, that's more like it,* he smiled as Sam came in carrying a large roast pig - of some sort.
Much better.
"Oh, and pumpkin, here is your plate," Sam held out a small plate of fruit (without the seeds) and bread.
Koshan gave them a funny look.
"Hey, what about the pig?" Jack complained.
"Why, lovey, you know what Doctor Frasier told you about watching your cholesterol. You simply scared the life out of me when you had your last episode! And now we have the baby to consider."
Sam rubbed her stomach for good effect and gave a smile and a shrug at Koshan and Kalara.
* * *
Sam knelt by the river with some of the other Lenowan women.
*I still do not believe this!* she scrubbed as she fumed. *No wife, real or not, should have to wash clothes by hand in a river of freezing cold water! Arghhh!*
Sam continued scrubbing for a while, slowly allowing her anger to burn off. She'd had her fun getting back at the Colonel, and it was a nice day to be outdoors. She glanced over at the woman beside her. She had a small child lying on a blanket beside her. She noticed Sam's gaze, and the two started talking about children.
"I've had such trouble getting this one to stop sucking his thumb! I've tried everything," the woman exclaimed.
*Should I? I mean, I've already had some fun at the Colonel's expense. Oh, what the hey, I'm washing his socks for crying out loud.*
She turned to the woman.
"I know just what you mean. I've been trying to get my Jack darling to stop for years! There's just some things they never outgrow I guess!"
* * *
Sam smiled as she carried their laundry back home. Yes, this wasn't such a bad day after all.
"Hey, Sam," Jack came up to her.
"I've been getting funny looks all afternoon. Do you know what it could be about?"
"Oh ah, I'm sure it's nothing serious," she said as they walked back to their little house.
They were almost there when suddenly, a little child ran up to Jack. The little boy giggled at him until scared away by Jack's threatening glare.
"You see what I mean? Stuff like that's been going on for the last couple of hours! Sam?"
But Sam couldn't answer him. She was laughing too hard.
"Oh no, I do not believe this. What did you tell them?! I thought you got this whole revenge thing out of your system by starving me half to death! What did you do?"
"Oh relax, honey. It wasn't anything serious."
"Of course it's something! And don't call me 'honey'!" he shouted. "I've had everyone looking at me like I'm crazy, or maybe I'm just hallucinating because of my empty stomach!"
Sam was starting to get mad.
"Yeah?! Well, you're not the one who's had to cook and clean and wash and scrub all day, every day!"
"Yeah, well, you're not the one talking fruits and veggies with the locals all day, every day!"
"Yeah, well, you're not the one carrying this stupid baby!"
A collected gasp.
Sam and Jack froze, then slowly turned around.
"Ah, Koshan, Kalara, all you village people! Ahem. We were just, you know . . ."
"How can you say such things to each other! And yelling as you did! Have you no love for each other?" Koshan looked completely shocked as he waved his hands between the two.
"Um, well . . ."
"You," he said looking at Sam. "You should be honored to do all those things for your husband! And what with his bad heart. And you," he turned on Jack. "This woman is carrying your child in addition to having a serious medical condition! You must have more consideration! How can we trade with people who have such animosity for each other? This is just terrible!" he continued muttering while wringing his hands.
"Look, Koshan, we really do love each other. It was just a lover's quarrel, that's all. Samantha and I care deeply for each other!"
"Jack's right. We don't usually fight like this. I guess all these trade negotiations are making us a bit tense. We just want to make a good trade for our people." Yes, that sounded good.
Koshan still looked uncertain.
"Look, what can we do to convince you that we love each other very much?"
"Well, there is a ceremony . . ."
*
Well, everyone, I should have the next chapter up tonight or tomorrow. Hope you're still liking this story. Please review, and thanks again for all the great suggestions!